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Off Field

Last week, Crew defender Chad Barson asked fans to come up with a Twitter handle for him using #BarsonTweets after he finally decided to join the social network. On Friday, Chad revealed he has decided on a name and has a tweet planned for the weekend.

Head Athletic Trainer Craig Devine has had a busy first week on the job in his second stint with the Black & Gold. Previously, he served as a physical therapist and Head Athletic Trainer for six seasons with the Black & Gold from 2000-2005. He’s now five sessions into the 2014 preseason working alongside second-year Assistant Athletic Trainer Steven Purcell and spoke with TheCrew.com on Thursday evening.

Learn more about Devine, his interest in the advancements in sports medicine and why on October 24, 2002 he ended up with a buzz cut following an important Crew victory.

Steve Clark joined the Crew via a trade with Seattle Sounders FC back in December. Now in his first preseason camp with the Black & Gold, get to know Clark with some insider questions about his off-the-field favorites.

STEVE CLARK QUICK-FIRE FAVORITES

Coffee or tea in the morning?
SC: Coffee.

Early riser or sleeping in on an off-day?
SC: Sleeping in, maybe until 10 a.m.

Place you’d most want to play a round of golf?
SC: Playing my home course with my dad and brothers.

Which professional goalkeeper did Clark look up to as a younger player? What type of books does the 27-year-old prefer reading? How many siblings did he grow up with? Learn more by checking out Clark’s bio.

Defender Chad Barson has finally caved and will be joining the Twitter world. There is just one small problem: he doesn't have a handle.

Here's where you, the fan, come in. Use the hashtag #BarsonTweets to choose a name for Chad. The most creative name will win a signed Chad Barson jersey and the bragging rights of having created the man's Twitter handle.

Crew Homegrown Players Matt Lampson and Wil Trapp spent Wednesday afternoon shooting a promo video for ReVision Advanced Laser Eye Care Center that will run during the Black & Gold's matches this season. The duo recently underwent LASIK correction in December as part of the Crew's new partnership with ReVision, making it the exclusive LASIK provider of the Columbus Crew. The two shared testimonials of the benefits LASIK correction has provided in the players' lives on and off the soccer field ahead of the official start of the Black & Gold's preseason on January 24.

With time on his hands during the offseason, Crew goalkeeper Matt Lampson recently took advantage of the time away from the training ground to pen a blog for the Huffington Post about his fight and triumph over Stage 4B Hodgkins Lymphoma. Lampson details the hurdles he faced following the diagnosis and his efforts to fight the disease with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Following his introductory press conference on Tuesday, new Crew Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter headed off to a photo shoot for the Black & Gold's upcoming marketing campaigns. Check out a sneak peek of the shoot.

The Houston Dynamo announced Thursday that the Crew's Danny O'Rourke and Frankie Hejduk have been added to the star-studded list of players that will be attending in The Brian Ching Testimonial Match at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston on December 13. Other stars that will be sending Ching off in style include Landon Donovan, Dwayne de Rosario, Chris Wondolowski and Jimmy Conrad.

As a rookie, O'Rourke played alongside Ching with the San Jose Earthquakes during the 2005 season before the first MLS incarnation of the 'Quakes moved to Houston in 2006. Hejduk and Ching represented the United States on several occassions together, including the 2009 edition of "Dos a Cero" against Mexico at Crew Stadium.

Ching's testimonial will benefit the Dynamo legend's charitable initiative, The House That Ching Built, and Habitat for Humanity.

Crew players Justin Meram, Shawn Sloan and Eric Gehrig joined Frankie Hejduk on Monday to take over Fairbrook Elementary School during the annual “Crew Takes Over Your School” event. The players spent the afternoon assisting the children during lunch, participating in various activities during recess and teaching the children about the importance of staying active both mentally and physically through their Active Bodies, Active Minds assembly. Fairbrook Elementary was chosen as a result of their high participation in the Crew’s Educator Appreciation Night on June 15 which brought out more than 2,000 total educators through the Ohio Education Association.